Pardon Me!

by Daniel Miyares

A little bird just wants some peace and quiet—but he’s about to get a whole lot more than he bargained for in this clever picture book debut, in the tradition of Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back.It’s a beautiful, sunny day in the swamp when a little yellow bird settles down on a rock—only to be interrupted as first a heron, then a frog, then a turtle ask to sit on the rock with him. As each animal says “pardon me,” the little bird’s replies get “I suppose I can’t stop you.”“It’s already crowded, don’t you think?”“Sure, the entire swamp’s here already. Why shouldn’t you be, too?” When a fox comes by, the bird finally loses his cool. But it just so happens that fox showed up for a reason, and the little bird’s outburst leads to a surprise ending you’ll want to read again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Birds, Fiction

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2014

About the author

Daniel Miyares is a critically acclaimed picture book author and illustrator. Some of his books include Float, Night Out, Pardon Me!, Night Walk to the Sea, written by Deborah Wiles, and Hope at Sea. He also illustrated Surf's Up, written by Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander. Daniel believes that our stories have the power to connect us all. Daniel's story currently takes place in Lenexa, Kansas, with his wife, their two wonderful children and a dog named Violet who gives them all a run for their money.

Reviews

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this little picture book hysterical. I never saw it coming; in fact, I had to re-read the book just to make sure there wasn't something I missed. Quite the chuckle at the end. (maybe pair with This Is Not My Hat....)

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever find the most perfect spot to sit and relax for a bit, only to have it ruined by another soul who insists on sitting right next to you? 'Tis the plight of the poor bird in this book as one interloper after another arrives to horn in on his little slice of paradise.



I loved the author's bold and colorful artwork, AND the funny surprise ending.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told mostly through pictures and has the feel of a Pixar short film. It is clever and amusing, but would be best suited to an audience that isn't sensitive about animals getting eaten. The end was a bit more intense than I expected based on the rest of the book!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book about a little yellow bird trying to mind his own business on his own little island in the swamp but keeps getting bothered by more and more unwanted visitors. Finally he gets so fed up that he yells at them all to go away but once he's on his own things aren't as peaceful as he would have hoped.
I love the illustrations of the big beaked tiny yellow bird in this book. His face is ridiculously expressive. As are the faces of the other animals in the book. They're all pretty comical! Great silly book!

[Nicole Amburgey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Illustrations: 5 stars! It's what led me to pick up the book!
Story: 0 stars. While I feel that I understand the message that the author was trying to convey with the story, I think the mark was clearly missed. What should have been a story of kindness and manners ended up being a story of passive agressiveness and sarcasm by a bird that was being taken advantage of. I am probably reading into this far too much, but I think it's a poor lesson for its audience.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. That has got to be the rudest bird on the planet. But then again I understood where he was coming from because everyone was trying to invade his personal space; however, I think he could have possibly handled the situation a little better haha which explains what happens to him at the end. I'm not going to lie I definitely did not see that ending coming.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love and respect this little birdie. I appreciate his need for a quiet place to sit. I wish it had gone better for him.

I would use for story times about birds, alligators, or manners.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being rude doesn't pay off. And that's the moral of this story. It's fun. And brief. Will try it in storytime. May throw in accents--that would be fun!

[Doris Gourbere · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I laughed so hard!)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable book! It's cute, dark, and uses manners. Preschoolers and elementary kids would get the most enjoyment out of this book.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/27/2018 ~ A FABULOUS twist at the end! Consider pairing this with Have You Seen My Hat and talk with young readers about appreciating the company (and warnings) of others.

Note: I'm still trying to figure out what prompted me to request so many non-2018 books from the library in the last few weeks...I keep finding older unread-by-me treasures in my library pile. Huh.

[Bailey Corcoran]

Pardon Me! By Daniel Miyares
Miyares, D. (2014). Pardon Me! Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.

This picture book is for children ages 4-8, as it has more visual literacy than it does actual words. However, the story is really quite humorous, even for us older folk! It is the story about a little yellow bird, who is simply minding his own business—trying to get some peace and quiet, when all of a sudden his entire world is turned upside down. Watch as Daniel Miyare construct his story through images and see what this little yellow bird has in store!

Class Activity: This book introduces many different types of animals found in a swamp—like a heron, a frog, a turtle, and a fox. For younger children, it would be easy to adapt this in a way that students are able to learn about swamps/different types of animals that can survive in different places. Children would engage in higher-level thinking, as they would have to infer other types of animals that would live in the same area by associating the similarities of amphibians, birds, and other mammals. To extend this process, the teacher could print out coloring pages (depending on the age group we are working with here), each of a different critter that lives in this ecosystem and have them color their own animal, do a mini report on it, and post them all up on the wall or a poster board! Then through engaging in group discussion, students would be able to draw associations and compare/contrast characteristics of each animal.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bird's peaceful little island in the middle of the water is soon turned into quite the gathering spot as one animal after another shows up saying "Pardon me!" and squeezing onto the space. But when a fox shows up saying, "Pardon me!" he's trying to communicate something else entirely. The little bird is done listening and is too happy to get his space back with the departure of all the other animals. BUT it turns out he really should have listened to the fox because the fox was trying to tell him he was sitting on a crocodile, and by the time the bird figures that out he's become a crocodile snack.

The Library of Congress decided this was about sharing, but to me it seems more of a lesson on listening. And a rather startling one, at that. The ending kind of surprised me, and parents/teachers should be warned this has some rather dark humor in it. (Or an opportunity to talk about food webs I guess.) I really liked the illustration style. The animals are all drawn so brightly, cutely, and cuddly...which I guess helps make the ending all that more shocking. If not for the ending, I would say this is a good beginning reader choice since there are very few words and kids should easily pick up on the repeated "Pardon me" phrase and be able to read along with you. Definitely know the child first, though, or you may end up scarring them for life.

[Joella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little yellow bird is sitting on a perch in the middle of a swamp. Along comes a big white bird who says “pardon me” and wants to share the place to sit. Then a frog and a turtle join them with a couple more exclamations of “pardon me.” When a fox tries to interrupt the group with another “pardon me” but the little bird interrupts before the fox can say much more. The bird does not want any more people to join him. In fact, he wants everyone else to leave so he can enjoy his spot all on his own. Only…his perch might not be all that safe.

This is a funny story of a bird who is so caught up in his own problems that he doesn’t pay attention to what is really going on. The colors of the illustrations are bright with the little bird being a bright yellow that stands out on each page–even when a little squished by the other animals. The words “pardon me” are always calm and separated from the rest of the words. The little yellow birds responses are always squished and crowded (just like how the bird feels). And as a bonus the book also teaches kids the polite way to excuse yourself by saying “pardon me.” Some youngsters might not totally get what happens at the end of the book, but those grownups and kids who love This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen will surly enjoy this book too.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pardon Me! by Daniel Miyares is a nominee for the 2016-17 South Carolina Picture Book Award.

A little yellow bird sits alone on a rock in a swamp. He won't be alone for long, though. One by one, a heron, a frog, and a turtle politely ask to join him. The little bird really just wants to be left alone, but he begrudgingly allows the others a bit of space. That changes when a fox comes along...

The little bird finally snaps. He wants everyone to leave him alone! He doesn't realize, however, is that the fox was trying to give him a very important warning. Being grumpy could land this little yellow bird into a huge heap of trouble!

Pardon Me!, while not ideal for read-alouds, is sure to charm fans of I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, and other books with rather unexpected endings. It is a very quick, surprising read that will delight young and older readers alike. The illustrations are vibrant and beautifully capture the overall mood of the book.

[Christine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bird just wants some peace and quiet-but he's about to get a whole lot more than he bargained for in this clever picture book debut, in the tradition of Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back . It's a beautiful, sunny day in the swamp when a little yellow bird settles down on a rock-only to be interrupted as first a heron, then a frog, then a turtle ask to sit on the rock with him. As each animal says "pardon me," the little bird's replies get grumpier: "I suppose I can't stop you." "It's already crowded, don't you think?" "Sure, the entire swamp's here already. Why shouldn't you be, too?" When a fox comes by, the bird finally loses his cool. But it just so happens that fox showed up for a reason, and the little bird's outburst leads to a surprise ending you'll want to read again and again.

Subject:
Birds -- Juvenile fiction
Animals -- Juvenile fiction
Sharing in children -- Juvenile fiction.

Note: For older children - bird does not make it.

[Christy]

The first thing that caught my attention with Pardon me was the name. I haven't seen, or read, a book with a name quite like this before. I'm very happy I got it now! It starts off with a bird on its perch, sleeping, and then another bird pushes in to join him on his perch. This happens throughout the book ending with a turtle joining the other animals on this perch. Every time an animal does join him he says, "Pardon me!" with a remark about how he wanted to be on his not very big perch ALONE. The ending isn't very happy for the bird, you'll have to read to find out.

The illustrations are wonderful, I think they are water colors. There is great detail and even looking sightly cartoony, the animals look realistic. From my perspective, it looks as if the illustrator took a lot of time on the illustrations in this book and they are what make this book so funny.

[Angie Kohout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: A small yellow bird finds a nice quiet spot to call his own… but not for long. His moment of peace is soon disturbed by a series of eager swamp animals. First a large heron drops in with a polite and slightly presumptuous “Pardon me.” Next comes a bullfrog followed by a tortoise, each offering a “pardon me” of their own. As space on the perch grows increasingly scarce so does the little bird’s patience, until finally a concerned fox floats over. This proves to be one “pardon me” too many. The infuriated feathered creature explodes in a rage sending all the unwanted guests heading for the hills.

At last balance has been restored. He once again has his quiet spot all to himself, or so he thinks.

Setting: Unknown

Characters: A small yellow bird, bullfrog, tortoise, and an alligator.

Point-of view: Third person.

Theme: Humor.

Style: Children's fiction

[Caleb Ensminger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a bird who is sitting on what he thinks is a lily pad. While he is sitting on this lily pad, many animals come up to him saying "pardon me" and take a seat. The bird starts to get bothered by all of the animals coming up to him. Eventually a fox who is on a log comes up and tries to tell the log that they're actually sitting on an alligator. While the other animals realize it and run away, the bird does not so he stays sitting there. The alligator ended up eating the bird in one bite. I could use this book in my classroom when I am trying to teach my students the importance of knowing their surroundings.

I personally liked this book. I felt like the story outline was very good and very good for young readers to understand. I feel like this is definitely a book that I would put in my classroom library.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Digital mixed media illustrations highlight the struggles of a small yellow bird who seems to have found the perfect place to perch. The very first image shows him resting on what looks to be a lily pad, savoring the peace, quiet, and solitude. But things change as first one, then another, and then yet another animal join him. When a fox ventures onto the scene, the bird chases them all away, which is a very big mistake because, as it turns out, his safe place isn't as safe as he thought it was. Young readers will relish the book's surprise ending and the repetitive nature of all those polite "pardon me" phrases. This might be a great pairing with This Is Not My Hat because of the growing sense of trouble that readers will recognize as the book reaches its climax.

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations- the use of space and wordless pages created a great sense of spacing. The use of perspective enlivens the static scene and the progression of colors as sunset approaches explodes with a (possible too?) vivid orange before descending into deep purple. The textures of the illustrations are really superb, keeping the digital media from being too shiny and flat. Although I appreciate the sense of humor, I found the grouping of animals a bit odd- the Stork doesn't eat the frog and the fox doesn't eat the bird but the crocodile does want to eat the bird. All in all, it was good, but had a few loose ends that aren't quite fitting together.

[Amber Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miyares, Daniel. (2014). Pardon Me! New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Picture Book Soak

This story is about a little yellow bird who keeps having other animals invade his space just by simply saying "Pardon me!" while the bird responds with witty comebacks. The story ends in a humorous way that children are sure to love. The illustrations in this book are done very well and definitely keep attention.

This book would be good to use in the classroom to show sharing or in social studies to show how people's territories can be taken over.

I enjoyed reading this book because of the humor and it would be a great tool in the classroom.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my kind of humor. 100% dark and hilarious.

This little yellow bird (remind anybody else of one of those birds from the pixar short "for the birds"?)doesn't want to share his perch in the swamp. A bunch of other animals politely ask to share "Pardon Me." Little yellow bird flips out and chases all the other animals away. Happy that he is finally all alone, he hunkers down for a nap with a smile on his face, but his swampy perch begins to look a lot like a grinning alligator. All we see in the last panel is a solitary yellow feather floating on the water.While perhaps a little harsh, it shows the importance of minding your manners.

[Krystal Shoop-Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children's picture book was not what I expected when I selected it from the library shelf. It's an adventure story with many wild animals that are all trying to tell Mr. Parrot that he is sitting on an alligator! Poor Mr. Parrot just wants some peace and quiet. So, he continues to rest on the alligator's back, thinking it's an island, then we see that the alligator eats him and says, "Pardon Me". This book would be good for teaching children that everything is not as it always seems. Make sure to listen to others, for you may learn something new that you did not know. The illustrations are lovely, and painted in lush blues and greens. This story made me laugh!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW:

ILLUSTRATION:+3 STAR(S)
This is the area that captures me the most. It is adorable and the colors give you that classical appeal, but its style still manages to let us stay with some modern touch. The characters don't look anything new, but they look alive. However, I must say the main character (the yellow bird) stands apart from all the rest.

STORY: +1 STAR(S)
Other than the humor attached to it, there is nothing much to it except for the humorous ending. What I mean is read it, but don't expect anything moral changing or like that.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With only a few words, the story is easily told with illustrations and attitude.

Poor little bird just wants some peace and quiet and he thinks he has found it on his own little island, that is until a larger bird and a frog and a turtle join him. So when Mr. Fox decides to add a little insight to the situation, the little bird loses his patience. Unfortunately, this is the one-bit of advice that he should have listened to.

Minimal words and great illustrations make this a wonderful book and laugh aloud funny at the end.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bird happily perched in a pond becomes crowded when a frog, egret, and other animals squeeze in to join him. After annoyed exchanges of 'pardon me!' the bird ends up left alone until one final 'pardon me' reveals another animal in the water.

This book will inevitably be compared to Klasen's I Want My Hat Back for it's minimal style and surprise ending. The gorgeous artwork and bird's annoyed attitude give it a fresh and delightful feel.

[Romelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations with a modern flair done in digital mixed media. The story starts off lighthearted and fun with quite a few wordless pages and sparse text. However, the dark, subdued colors foreshadows something sinister as we watch little bird's quiet time being interrupted by visitors. Yes, sinister! I was entranced by the gorgeous images and quiet story until WHAM! I don't recommend this for the sensitive heart.

This picture book is meant for the older crowd. It is all about the dark humor. No real take-away for the young reader.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely - bright and colored and textured. And the little bird's face is so expressive! As a coworker said when I checked it out, "He's a very salty looking little bird!" And it's a funny one, too with a rather surprise ending (teach you to listen to those only trying to help!). Not what I was expecting at all!

Storytime? Probably not. With this particular ending, it might be a bit abrupt (and dark) for my usual audience. If your kids are a little older though, they might get a kick out of it!

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely not the right pick for a sensitive reader, but it has the same dark humor as This is Not My Hat or Wolves. The lush jewel toned illustrations paired perfectly. Some animals may or may not get eaten in this story. Life lesson: watch where you sit!